Cassidy criticizes Trump order to reduce childhood vaccines

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, criticized President Donald Trump's executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccines and splitting some immunizations into separate medical visits.

Cassidy, a physician and chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, said in an Aug. 16 CNN interview that separating the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three shots could burden families and raise insurance costs without providing health benefits for children.

Cassidy said the change could force parents to make six doctor visits instead of two, potentially causing missed work and higher premiums. He said efforts to make Americans healthier should increase immunization rates, not decrease them.

Trump made accusations about vaccines while signing the order last week. Experts say the MMR vaccine is not lethal when given together, and medical research does not support health benefits from splitting the immunizations.

Read the full story at usatoday.com.